While the argument to privacy regarding mental health is absolutely sacrosanct, as any health issue is, I don’t think the current legitimate questions and concerns over who sectioned JLR is being an egg in any way shape or form and that this is a very, very, very unique situation.

An MP, who has damaging information about the largest political party in the country suddenly gets sectioned under mental health legislation, this after an unprecedented no holds barred attack on him by National and Newsroom using anonymous sources.

The very reason why there is legislation demanding the Speaker of the House be informed of an MP being sectioned and that the Speaker must visit the MP, is because using this power over a Member of Parliament cuts to the very heart of our democracy and the protections our elected representatives have against the State when they pose a threat to that State.

Those are legitimate questions and they deserve to have answers, to ensure there hasn’t been something dark done here.

Was there or wasn’t there a National Party MP with JLR who helped section him – I appreciate the clamour of ‘mental health right to privacy’ but this has a far wider implications beyond that and requires investigation once he is well enough.

The irony is that the same people who were using anonymous sourced accusations to crucify JLR are the same ones demanding no questions now he’s been sectioned – this is so Kafkaesque it’s Orwellian.

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In this vein, having read and contributed to comments sections over the weekend about JLR and the mental health discussion, I would really like to advocate here for the mental health foundation or similar to come out and demystify the whole area around what “sectioning” means. What the real process may involve in the real world and what the laws and rights are for people who may be admitted to the mental health system at some stage in their lives.
It would be very timely for some public education.
The use of the term ” sectioned” is somewhat dramatic and incorrect. The term is really ” assessed” at the early stages. People are assessed for their safety and the safety of others, it’s not necessarily for a set time, and the patient is treated like a person with rights no matter how delusional they may be.
Step up Mental Health Foundation and do some destigmatizing. The public need it.
Maybe if it has some open publicity more people will seek help sooner.

Thank you George for one of the first sensible reply’s on this matter. I for one have never believed that JLR had been sectioned, possibly assessed. But hey don’t worry our dogged msm have moved on to the pretendy pipe bombs sent to a couple of has been politico’s in the home of the brave.

Information about who sectioned JLR has zero impact on his privacy – of course it does affect the privacy of the person doing the sectioning, and there is a very real possibility that that person is desperate to maintain their privacy.

The mere fact that no one has popped up and said, yes I was part of that is cause for concern in itself.

You are absolutely right, Martyn. Understanding how and why a sitting MP is sectioned is very important in a democracy. Some have argued it’s not important because Ross is not particularly influential but he has said he will expose the “rot” in the party, which makes him a significant figure in our politics (and he’s certainly been in a position to know how his former party operates). The fact National has not answered questions about its role in his sequestration raises questions of what exactly went on. Calls for transparency have come from the right (notably David Seymour) and the left (Chris Trotter). And good on them both.

None of us are surprised at the ongoing piles and piles of dirt of National. Not even when they are molesting little blonde girls hair. Or recording private conversations of women in their electorates.

Nor even when they are humiliating women who are seeking assistance to undertake Tertiary Study – whilst being crushed nation wide by a sadist brutal National Female Minister.

Brutality is the core of National.

Therefore, I am not surprised that a member of Parliament was recenly forcibly removed from Parliament by thugs guided for and on behalf of Simon Bridges and his Deputy, Paula Bennett and the secret Leaders of the National Party.

National will not suffer for ill treating people. The Herald and Hosking will see to that. They have done it to hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders for decades.

Helpless families and low wage workers have been trodden on over and over by the sweet women and leaders of the scum we call national.

Shame Shame Shame – The wealthy mongrels who cause a massive % of the trouble in our fair land. Get Rid of them one by one !

At the end of the day will their be an investigation into Simon Bridges by SFO into whether he got these donations legitimately off a chinese businessman were undeclared by Bridges ,that is the question?

Agreed that questions need to be asked. BUT, we do need to be careful, lest we make things even worse for our comrades who do struggle with mental health.

– The Speaker appears to have not been approached or told about this /at all/. This needs to be questioned.
– IF it was the National party who asked for the sectioning, that’s a clear conflict of interest, and the judge who agreed to it should be brought up for reviews

What we /can’t/ ask for is full details of which individuals asked for the sectioning, and which psychologists agreed to it, not without JLR asking for it. Confidentiality around mental health is really important, and this is a good opportunity for people to show how it should be done – not by shutting mental health issues behind a door and ignoring them, but being mindful about which questions we ask.

Once again the good New Zealand people are being shown the lengths one of the largest well funded political parties will go to in order to cover up its corrupt unscrupulous behaviour and lie bare faced to them at every opportunity.

Key was a master at it but Bridges and the others arent quite that adept at it even with the lack of real serious questions or pressure from the MSM.

I am frightened about the direction my country is heading in
Is anyone else……….really ?

“An MP, who has damaging information about the largest political party in the country suddenly gets sectioned under mental health legislation, this after an unprecedented no holds barred attack on him by National and Newsroom using anonymous sources.”

I want to know how this was possible without a Court order??

People can’t be forcibly detsined in psych units without due process. Its illegal detention. So, what the fuck just happened?????

And why is the msm not investigating? Why is it being left to bloggers to ask the awkward questions? What happened to Jamie Lee Ross?? How was Slater involved??

And why is John Campbell doing fucking SPORTS stories while all this is going on???